Controlling system



Mar. 27, 1923. 1,449,573

' w. P. ALBERT CONTROLLING SYSTEM Filed May 1, 1920 /n venfor Wa/fer F! A lberf Arr) iPatente-d Mar; 27, 1923.

WALTER P. ALBERT, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, .ASSIGNOR T0 .wnsr 'innnnncrmo COMPANY, INoonrona'r-nn, ornnw. YORK, 1v. 1., A conronarion on NEW YORK,-

CONTROLLING SYSTEM.

Application filed m 1, 1920. Serial No. 378,190.

To all-107mm itmay concern.

'Be it known that I, WALTER P. ALBERT, a

citizen of the United States, residing at News ark, 111' the county of Essex, State of New. Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Systems, of which the following is a full, c ear, concise, and exact description. I

This invention relates to improvements in control'circuits and more especially to im proved circuits for controlling the operation of a mechanical device which is operated in a step-by-step movement in response to impulses generated by some form of impulse sending mechanism.

. Step-by-step mechanisms are well-known in the automatic telephone art, where they are used either as switches 'to establish telephonic connections, as registers, as number indicating devices, and also for performing a variety of functions as progression con- 7 control of an impulse sending device must'be capable of a high speed of operation. This means that the impulses generated inthe controlling line must succeed one another at a rapid rate. If the line is of considerable length it will have varying characteristics as regards its impedance, and lines -of vari-' ous lengths will differ in their transmitting qualities, so that it may be difficult to cause a fixed form of mechanism to respond uniformly under varying conditions of line. length. Local and temporary electrical'disturbances in proximity to the controlling line may also affect the transmission qualities of the line. A dial which has become imperfect due to wear or poor adjustment. of

. considerably distorted or mutilated even the governor may also produce impulses of register switch to be positioned under the impulse generating device. If the various' inductive and capacityeffects on the line are of sufficient strength, it may happen that the pulses actually received by this relay are though they are generated at a'uniform rate.

Thus it would bezpossiblethat due to the characteristics of the line, the. impulse receiving relay might, upon deenergization,

make a contact of very short duration with its back contact and almost immediately be reenergized. Another set of conditions might result in a condition-supin that the relay would be energized for only a very short in'' terval of time. 1

It is the object of-tliis invention to provide circuits for controlling. the operation of a step-by-step mechanism such that the switch will respond to mutilated impulses without danger of'losing synchronism' with the sendingdevice. I I vi I It is a further object of this, invention to provide a circuit arrangement such that the impulse receiving relay may make contacts of short duration 'witheitherits front or its back contact without causing faulty operation of the apparatus which controls the step-by-stepdevice. l I

A feature of the invention is the'use of a quick-actingrelay which wi'll respond to impulses of short duration, and in re'spond--. ing complete a circuit for the stepping magnet of a step-by-step device and maintain such'circuit until the-step-by-s-tep devicehas completed'a full "step. I

Since the invention "is capable of alarge variety of adaptations, it isltobe limi only by theappended claims. v

It is thought that the invention will best. be understood fromthe following'detailed ted description, reference being had to "theaccompanying drawing. 7 H

The drawing shows such portions of a controlling circuit anda step-by-step device" controlled by an impulse sender "as are neces- I sary to :an understanding of theinvention.

,For the sakeof simplifying the" description, it has been assumed that the ';step-bystep device, indicated generally at 1, is a control of a fsubscribers substation'sende'r indicatedat 2 v Under this assumptionfthe operation of the system is as. follows.

lVhen the callingsubscriber removeshhis receiver from the switchhook (not shown) springs 4 and 5, and thence over the other side of the line to ground. Relay 3, upon energization, completes a circuit from grounded-battery, winding of slow release relay 6, armature and front contact of relay 3 to ground.

The calling subscriber now operates the impulse sender 2 to cause a series'of openings of impulse springs 4L and 5, thereby causing the intermittent deenergization of relay 3. Upon the first retraction of the armature of relay 3, a circuit is completed from grounded battery, winding of magnet 7, which controls the advance of the stepby-step switch 1, winding of slow release relay 8, armature and front contact of relay 6,. armature and back contact of relay 3 to ground. In parallel with this circuit, quick-acting relay 9 is energized due to the closure of a circuit from grounded battery, winding of relay 9, contacts 10 and 11, which remain closed until the magnet This caused its armature'to 'fully complete its attractive stroke and thence to ground as described. Stepping magnet 7 is energized in the above traced circuit and remains energized until line relay 3 is again energized upon the closure of the impulse springs. Slow release relay 8 is also energized in this circuit and remains energized during the sending of the entire series of impulses.

Upon the next closure of the line circuit at impulse springs i and 5, relay 3 is energized and stepping magnet 7 a and re lay 9 are deenergized. This operation continues until the termination of the series of impulses. After the transmission of this series of impulses. relay 3 remainsenergized for a relatively long period of time and allows slow release relay 8 to be deenergized. Slow release relay 8, upon deenergization. may be made to control the operation of a side switch or a progression controlling switch to allow other apparatus to function. Each energization of stepping magnet 7 has caused the switch controlled by it, to be advanced one step.

The operation just described is that which takes place in case impulses of proper current strength and of proper duration are received by relay 3.

The operation of the system when imperfect. impulses are received will now be described. In this case, relays 3 and 6 will be initially energized as previously described when the line circuit is first closed. It will now be assumed that when the subscriber manipulates the dial very short interruptions of the line circuit will be apparent to relay 3. In this case, upon the retraction of the armature of relay 3, stepping magnet 7 will start to energize but before it can complete its stroke, relay 3 will. again attract its armature. In the ordinary controlling system, this impulse would be lost and the switch would be one step short of its proper positioning. However, the in terval of time during which the armature of relay 3 engages its back contact, while too short to allow magnet 7 to fully energize, is of sufiicient time period to allow quick acting relay 9 to operate. Quick acting relay 9 upon energizing then locks up over a circuit extending from grounded battery, winding of relay 9, contacts 10 and 11, winding of slow release relay 8, right-hand armature and front contact of relay 9 to ground. This provides an alternative circuit for stepping magnet 7 regardless of the condition of relay 3. This circuit extends from grounded battery, winding of stepping magnet 7, winding of slow release relay. 8, right-hand armature and front contact of relay 9 to ground. As soon as stepping magnet 7 has caused its armature to complete a full attractive stroke, contacts 10 and 11 are separated, thus causing the deenergization of relay 9, which in turn allows stepping magnet 7 to be deenergizeol. The next interruption of the line circuit causes an operation identical with that above described. It is, therefore, seen that the present circuit is far more positive in its action than that usually employed. since the time the ar mature of relay 3 must remain in engage-- ment with its back contact is very small, due to the quickaction of relay 9. It is obvious that a relay can be designed to respond far more quickly than is possible with a stepping magnet which must operate relatively bulky apparatus in attracting its armature. It is to be noted that relay 9 also controls the circuit of relay 8, as that this relay is not prematurely released in case line relay 3 receives a series of short impulses.

An added advantage of the circuit results from the fact that incorrect operation is also prevented in case linerelay 3 makes engagements of short duration with its front contact, which might occur under some conditions of line impedances. If'line relay 3 should receive a series of impulses such as to cause a number of successive engagements of its armature and front contact of short duration, slow release relay 6 might be deenergized. Since it is usual in systems in which step-by-step devices are controlled to utilize the first slow relay, well known in the art, and which appears in the present disclosure as relay 6, as a means for controlling the release of the device, it is obvious that an undetime that the magnet 7 completed its stroke.

Each energization' of I relay 9' on tlie back stroke of relay 3 would then complete a-cir+ margin by which it will hold over is greatly increased. 1

What is claimed is: I 1. In a controllingsystem, a step-by-step device, an operating magnet therefor, an impulse receiving relay, a quick acting relay connected in parallel with said magnet, energizing circuits for said magnet and said quick acting relay intermittently completed 1 under the control of said impulse receiving relay, a circuit for said magnet controlled at contacts of said quick acting relay, a locking circuit for said quick acting relay controlled at contacts governed by said stepping magnet, means to transmit impulses to said impulse receiving relay and means to operate said device under the control of said relays.

2. In a controlling system, in combination, a step-by-step device, an operating magnet therefor, an impulse receiving relay, a quick acting relay connected in parallel with said magnet, an energizing circuit for said magnet controlled by said impulse receiving relay, auxiliary circuits for said magnet and said quick acting relay controlled at contacts governed by said quick acting relay and said magnet respectively, a line circuit, and

means for transmitting current impulses thereover tocontrol said impulse receiving relay.

3. In a controlling system, in combination, an impulse receiving relay, a slow-torelease relay, an energizing circuit for said slow release relay completed at a front contact of said impulse receiving relay, a quick acting relay, an energizing circuit for said 7 quick acting relay controlled at a back contact of said impulse receiving relay, a branch circuit for said slow release relay controlled at contacts governed by said quick acting relay, a line circuit, and means for transmittino current impulses thereover to control said impulse receiving relay.

4:- In a controlling system, in combination, an impulse receiving relay, a slow release relay, an energizing circuit for said slow release relay, an energizing circuit for said slow release relay controlled at a back contact of said impulse receiving relay, a quickv acting relay connected in series with said slow acting relay, a branch circuit for said slow release relay controlled at contacts governed by said quick acting relay, a'line cir-' cuit, and means for transmitting current impulses thereover to control said impuls'e'receiving relay.

, '5. .In a controlling system; in-fco'mbination,

an impulse- ,rec'e'ivingfrel ayfia slow acting re lay, anlzenergi'zingcircuit forsaidfslow act; ingrelay controlled at-a -front contact ofsa id x impulse receiving relay,;a second slowyrelayg an energizing circuit therefor controlled aback contact-of said impulse-receivingre lay, a quick acting relay included intheenergizing circuit of saidsecond slow relay, I

branch circuits for said first and second slow relays controlled .at contacts governed by T said quick acting relay, a line circuit,.and

means for transmitting current impulses thereover to control said impulse receiving relay I 6. In a controlling system, astep-by-stepdevice an operating magnet therefor, an impulse receiving relay, a quick acting relay;

connected in parallel with said magnet, a slow-to-release relay, an energizing circu t for said slow release relay controlled at a front contact of said impulse receiving relay,

energizing circuits for said magnet andsaid 5 quick acting relay intermittently completed -under the control of said impulse receiving relay, a circuit for said magnet controlled at contacts of said quick acting relay, alocking circuit for said quick acting relay con- 9 trolled at contacts governed by said magnet,

a-branch circuit for said slow, release relay controlled at contacts governed by said quick acting relay, means to transmit 1mpulses to said impulse receiving relay, andv means to operate said device under the control of said relays. 1

7 Ina controlling system, a step-by-step device, an operating magnet therefor, an

impulse receiving relay, a quick acting relaya connected in parallel with said magnet, ei'ier- 'gizing circuit for said magnet and said quick acting relay intermittently completed under the control of said'impulse receiving relay, a slow-to-release relay connected in series with said magnet and said quick acting relay, a circuit for said magnetcontrolled at I contacts of said quick acting relay a locking circuit for said quick acting relay controlled at contacts governed by said stepping mag-' net, a branch circuit for said slow'acting relay controlled at contacts governed by said quick acting relay, means to transmit impulses to' said impulse, receiving relay,

and means tooperate said device under the i control of said relays. s I 3 I 8. In a controlling system, in combination,

a step-by-step device, an operating magnet therefor, an impulse receiving relay, a quick acting relay connected in parallel with said magnet, energizing circuits for said magnet and said quick acting'relay intermittently completed under the control of said impulsev receiving relay, asloWf acting relay, an'ener gizing circuit for said slow acting relay con trolled at a front contact'of said impulse receiving relay, a second slow relay, an relay controlled at contacts governed by said energizing circuit therefor controlled at a stepping magnet, a line circuit, and means back contact of said impulse receiving relay, for transmitting current impulses thereov'er 10 branch circuits for said first slow relay, said to control said impulse receiving relay.

5 second slow relay and said magnet controlled In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe at contacts governed I by said quick acting my name this 26th day of April, A. D. 1920. relay, a locking circuit for saidquick acting VALTER P. ALBERT. 

